ACT govt accused of ‘papering over the cracks’ despite starting field upgrades

There’s finally some good news on the sportsground front.

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Both Kambah 201 and Calwell 204 are expected to be back online this weekend after a four-week spell following a renovation.

ACT Sports Minister Yvette Berry says Kambah and Calwell grounds will reopen after renovation. Pictures Keegan Carroll, supplied

ACT Sports Minister Yvette Berry said both grounds had been overseeded and had turf replaced.

She said the ACT government hadn’t reduced the maintenance budget for its sportsgrounds, but it had been a “tough summer” weatherwise causing problems for their upkeep.

Both Tuggeranong grounds were deemed unsafe, causing the cancellation and transfer of games.

“They were both off for about four weeks,” Berry told The Canberra Times in regard to Kambah and Calwell.

“They’ve had some oversewing done.

“They’re using a new technique to replace grass.

“It’s called plugging and they just cut out squares of grass and put new grass in.

“But with that rest, hopefully, and growth mats, it should be back online [this weekend].”

Berry was adamant there’d been no decrease in funding for maintenance work on grounds in the capital.

But she said a combination of a hot, dry summer and overuse could have been a factor.

Neither ground is enclosed, meaning it can be used by the community when it’s not booked and increasing their traffic.

Berry said enclosing ovals could be a solution, but that would be subject to funding.

The condition of Calwell Playing Fields on May 9 led to the postponement of NPL matches. Pictures supplied

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Tuggeranong received about 75 per cent of its average rainfall last summer (154.8 millimetres compared with an average of 206 millimetres ), while also having a mean daily maximum temperature of 29.7 degrees – 1.5 degrees above average.

“It has been a difficult dry summer and those two fields, because they’re not fenced, get a lot of community use, so there’s some overuse problems with those two fields as well,” Berry said.

“We’ve been talking about what’s the requirement of NPL [soccer] around fenced facilities and how do we keep it clear of community traffic – unbooked casual traffic – so that they’re right and ready for NPL use.

“No decrease in funding, but it has been a difficult year.

“When it’s dry, we need to use more water.

“We have challenges now with fertiliser and the like, because of the international uncertainty. Things like that cost more money.

“Diesel’s costing [more] – all of these things impact our ability to maintain the fields to the level that our clubs want to see them at.”

The government’s commissioned an independent review of Canberra’s sporting facilities, which must be completed by March 24, 2027.

Wanniassa, far left and right, and Hawker, middle, soccer fields were hit by vandals. Pictures supplied

Berry said Australian rules, cricket and soccer were doing their own ground audits with Aussie rules and cricket both happy to share their information with the government.

It was unclear whether Capital Football, soccer’s governing body, would also collaborate with the government.

“We’re working very closely with sports groups,” Berry said.

“AFL do their own audit, as does Cricket ACT. I understand Capital Football are doing an audit as well.

“We haven’t had information from Capital Football, but Cricket ACT and AFL have said that they’ll share that information with us so that we can be all speaking the same language.

“It’s difficult to improve or repair anything if we don’t know what the actual damages [are] or what the expectation is.

“But we’re keen to work with them, because that’s when our sports fields are managed best, is when we’re working together.”

Canberra ovals shut down for urgent restoration following spate of issues

The ACT government has launched targeted remediation works after a spate of complaints about the poor condition of sportsgrounds across Canberra, but the Canberra Liberals have accused them of “papering over the cracks”.

Yvette Berry has promised action on sportsgrounds amid pressure from Mark Parton and the Canberra Liberals. Pictures by Karleen Minney, Keegan Carroll, supplied

Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton will hold a roundtable discussion with sporting clubs and organisations next week, declaring: “this minister and this government is only interested in papering over the cracks and looking the other way”.

The ACT government has highlighted Kambah 201 – from which soccer games have been hastily moved – and Calwell 204 as two of the fields under significant pressure due to high use, environmental conditions and drainage infrastructure constraints.

Berry says the transition between summer and winter sports has become less distinct, with extended seasons – or additional events – reducing opportunities for field renovations and rest between seasons.

The pressures have triggered a shutdown of both fields as the ACT government looks to improve the state of the southside facilities.

“Targeted remediation works are now underway at both of those ovals,” Berry said in a document presented to the Legislative Assembly.

“This includes, reseeding with winter hardy rye grass, turf repairs and protective treatments to accelerate recovery and restore the playing conditions.

“Both grounds are temporarily closed and are expected to return to match play from 30 May.

“The ACT Government is taking practical and considered steps to address current challenges. This includes directing resources to the areas of greatest need, bundling works geographically to improve efficiency and value, and leveraging technology and innovation-such as robotic line marking and smart irrigation systems-to enhance long-term sustainability where we can.

“I acknowledge that this system is not perfect, but it is a system that is willing to learn and adapt.

Wanniassa, far left and right, and Hawker, middle, soccer fields were hit by vandals. Pictures supplied

“The level of demand, changing conditions and competing expectations mean there will always be pressures and, at times, differing views on how field access and maintenance are managed.

“This is an ongoing effort, and I am focused on making sure we are getting the balance right.”

Parton has pledged to host a roundtable meeting for sporting clubs and organisations at the Southern Cross Club in Woden – from 6pm next Thursday – to address the state of Canberra’s sporting facilities and to “find solutions”.

“I’m kind of blown away that at a time when there is so much genuine frustration, when there is angst, when there is anger from grassroots sporting organisations and the people out in the suburbs about the state of sportsgrounds, that the Minister stands here in this place and says: ‘No, it’s all going well. There’s nothing to see here,'” Parton said in the assembly.

“I’m staggered that we have a live situation involving multiple incidents when vandals have taken it upon themselves to tear up sportsgrounds in cars and e-bikes, but one of those incidents involves young people invading a sportsground during competitive matches on the weekend, and that component of what is going on has occupied one sentence of this ministerial statement.

“The sporting community is collectively taking stock and trying to pick up the pieces as best as they can, after long-term maintenance failures, and vandalism, and the Minister stands up here with a straight face and says everything is ‘hunky-dory’. It just isn’t.

“This minister and this government is only interested in papering over the cracks and looking the other way. It is not good enough.

“We’re aiming to get to the nitty gritty of the problems and work towards some solutions, something the government seems incapable of doing. The Minister is of course welcome to attend. At the end of the day we’re just trying to find a way out.”

Berry says Canberra sports facilities have been booked for more than 47,000 hours’ worth of activity this year, marking a nine per cent increase on the same time last year.

The increase – coupled with informal use not reflected in government data – heaps more pressure on playing surfaces which are often used year-round.

Targeted remediation works are coupled with a twice-yearly shutdown, which allows the ACT government to complete turf restoration, irrigation system inspections, floodlight maintenance and operational improvements including installation and removal of goal posts, and pavilion repairs.